Search results for " Bioreactor"
showing 10 items of 149 documents
Nitrous oxide from integrated fixed-film activated sludge membrane bioreactor: Assessing the influence of operational variables
2017
The influence of the main operational variables on N2O emissions from an Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge University of Cape Town membrane Bioreactor pilot plant was studied. Nine operational cycles (total duration: 340 days) were investigated by varying the value of the mixed liquor sludge retention time (SRT) (Cycles 1â3), the feeding ratio between carbon and nitrogen (C/N) (Cycles 4â6) and simultaneously the hydraulic retention time (HRT) and the SRT (Cycles 7â9). Results show a huge variability of the N2O concentration in liquid and off-gas samples (ranged from 10â1μg N2O-N Lâ1to 103μg N2O-N Lâ1). The maximum N2O concentration (1228 μg N2O-N Lâ1) in the off-gas sa…
Treatment of a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) effluent by an activated sludge system: the role of sulphide and thiosulphate in the …
2014
This work studies the use of a well-known and spread activated sludge system (UCT configuration) to treat the effluent of a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) treating domestic waste-water. Ammonia, phosphate, dissolved methane and sulphide concentrations in the SAnMBR effluent were around 55 mg NH4-N L-1, 7 mg PO4-P L-1, 30 mg non-methane biodegradable COD L-1, and 105 mg S2- L-1 respectively. The results showed a nitrification inhibition caused by the presence of sulphur compounds at any of the solids retention time (SRT) studied (15,20 and 25 days). This inhibition could be overcome increasing the hydraulic retention time (HRT) from 13 to 26 h. Among the sulphur compounds, …
Greenhouse gases from sequential batch membrane bioreactors: A pilot plant case study
2016
Abstract The paper reports the results of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions from aerobic and anoxic tank of a Sequential Batch Membrane Bioreactor (SB-MBR) pilot plant. The influence of salinity variation on N 2 O emission was analyzed by gradually increasing the inlet salt concentration from 0 to 10 g NaCl L −1 . The observed results showed that the N 2 O concentration of the gaseous samples was strongly influenced by the salt concentration. This result was likely related to a worsening of the nitrification activity due to the effect of salinity on autotrophic bacteria. Dissolved oxygen concentration and salinity were found to be the key factors affecting N 2 O concentration in the gaseous s…
Nitrous oxide from moving bed based integrated fixed film activated sludge membrane bioreactors
2017
Abstract The present paper reports the results of a nitrous oxide (N 2 O) production investigation in a moving bed based integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) membrane bioreactor (MBR) pilot plant designed in accordance with the University of Cape Town layout for biological phosphorous removal. Gaseous and liquid samples were collected in order to measure the gaseous as well as the dissolved concentration of N 2 O. Furthermore, the gas flow rate from each reactor was measured and the gas flux was estimated. The results confirmed that the anoxic reactor represents the main source of nitrous oxide production. A significant production of N 2 O was, however, also found in the anaerobic …
Moving bed membrane bioreactors for carbon and nutrient removal: The effect of C/N variation
2017
In this paper, an experimental campaign was carried out on a University of Cape Town Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge Membrane Bioreactor (UCT-IFAS-MBR) pilot plant. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the influent C/N ratio on the system performance in terms of organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus removal, biomass viability (through respirometry), activated sludge features and membrane filtration properties. The experiments were organized into three phases, characterized by a variation of the C/N ratio (namely, Phase I: C/N= 5, Phase II: C/N =10; Phase III: C/N = 2). The results highlighted that the system performance was significantly affected by C/N ratio. The rem…
Modeling light and temperature influence on ammonium removal by Scenedesmus sp. under outdoor conditions.
2016
[EN] The ammonium removal rate of the microalga Scenedesmus sp. was studied under outdoor conditions. Microalgae were grown in a 500 L flat-plate photobioreactor and fed with the effluent of a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor. Temperature ranged between 9.5 WC and 32.5 WC and maximum light intensity was 1,860 μmol·m2·s1. A maximum specific ammonium removal rate of 3.71 mg NH4 þ-N·g TSS1·h1 was measured (at 22.6 WC and with a light intensity of 1,734 μmol·m2·s1). A mathematical model considering the influence of ammonium concentration, light and temperature was validated. The model successfully reproduced the observed values of ammonium removal rate obtained and it is thus p…
Biotrickling filter modeling for styrene abatement. Part 2: Simulating a two-phase partitioning bioreactor.
2017
Abstract A dynamic model describing styrene abatement was developed for a two-phase partitioning bioreactor operated as a biotrickling filter (TPPB-BTF). The model was built as a coupled set of two different systems of partial differential equations depending on whether an irrigation or a non-irrigation period was simulated. The maximum growth rate was previously calibrated from a conventional BTF treating styrene (Part 1). The model was extended to simulate the TPPB-BTF based on the hypothesis that the main change associated with the non-aqueous phase is the modification of the pollutant properties in the liquid phase. The three phases considered were gas, a water–silicone liquid mixture, …
Wastewater treatment and reclamation : A review of pulp and paper industry practices and opportunities
2016
The pulp and paper (P&P) industry worldwide has achieved substantial progress in treating both process water and wastewater, thus limiting the discharge of pollutants to receiving waters. This review covers a variety of wastewater treatment methods, which provide P&P companies with cost-effective ways to limit the release of biological or chemical oxygen demand, toxicity, solids, color, and other indicators of pollutant load. Conventional wastewater treatment systems, often comprising primary clarification followed by activated sludge processes, have been widely implemented in the P&P industry. Higher levels of pollutant removal can be achieved by supplementary treatments, which…
The influence of solid retention time on IFAS-MBR systems: Assessment of nitrous oxide emission
2017
The aim of the present study was to investigate the nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from a moving bed based Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge (IFAS) - membrane bioreactor (MBR) pilot plant, designed according to the University of Cape Town (UCT) layout. The experimental campaign had a duration of 110 days and was characterized by three different sludge retention time (SRT) values (â, 30 d and 15 d). Results highlighted that N2O concentrations decreased when the biofilm concentrations increased within the aerobic reactor. Results have shown an increase of N2O with the decrease of SRT. Specifically, an increase of N2O-N emission factor occurred with the decrease of the SRT (0.13%, 0.21% …
Methane recovery efficiency in a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) treating sulphate-rich urban wastewater: Evaluation of methane loss…
2012
The present paper presents a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) as a sustainable approach for urban wastewater treatment at 33 and 20 C, since greenhouse gas emissions are reduced and energy recovery is enhanced. Compared to other anaerobic systems, such as UASB reactors, the membrane technology allows the use of biogas-assisted mixing which enhances the methane stripping from the liquid phase bulk. The methane saturation index obtained for the whole period (1.00 ± 0.04) evidenced that the equilibrium condition was reached and the methane loss with the effluent was reduced. The methane recovery efficiency obtained at 20 C (53.6%) was slightly lower than at 33 C (57.4%) due to …